Gabe Berkey
New member
Hello everyone,
I've poked around here on and off for a few years. I've always been impressed with the amount of useful knowledge and how freely it's shared. I've learned a lot and have been helped out and inspired on different projects.
Currently, I hunt around southern NJ, in a BBSB that was almost on it's way to the dump when I acquired it about six years ago. I also do some hunting on foot, and use a kayak sometimes too. I've mostly been in the SB the last few seasons. I really enjoy hunkering down in that little boat and seeing how close I can get birds to decoy. It hides so well it makes for some really cool nature watching in addition to the hunting (hawks, eagles, herons, seals, etc).
When I bought the boat I paid a friend who does fiberglass work for a living to bring her back to life. He did a nice job on what I prioritized at the time. It was a lot to get her tight and seaworthy again. Another friend had a 2001 Yamaha F6 he wanted to get rid of for a very reasonable price. So that's what pushes her. The boat was on a homemade trailer of wielded up angle iron.
This season the saltwater finally did in the trailer. It wasn't safe to use anymore, so I ended up purchasing a new trailer. I couldn't find a decent used trailer that wasn't going to be a big hassle to register and be legal on the road. That kept me from starting the season on time. Once that was squared away I just kept running into one thing after another. Leaking waders, fuel line issues, clogged cooling system, blah blah blah. It seemed like every hunt produced another issue. I take good care of my gear. Age was the main factor and it was just time for some things to be replaced. With a few weeks of the season left, and a bunch of money and time expended, I finally was able to get some good hunts in. On one outing I was set up for bufflehead with my lab and we had some wigeon nearby that gave us a close pass. I should have dropped a drake but I blew it. We mostly see black ducks as far as dabblers go. That would have been my first wigeon. A couple days later the tide was right to try again near the same area. It all came together. Not only did I get my first wigeon (a pair), I also had a single Eurasian sneak in from behind me and drop in with the black duck blocks. I didn't blow the opportunity and that bird as well as the the pair of Americans are going on the wall. One hunt made all the work and aggravation worth it. The stud mallard that dropped by when I was thinking about calling it quits didn't hurt my feelings either.
I've got some issues to address with the boat this off season. The deck in getting springy. I think it's time to re-core it. I'll be looking for advice with that. The outboard surges (rpms up and down at idle and low speed in gear). I've tried adjusting the idle but no change. I've heard it's common with that engine but I can't find a fix mentioned anywhere.
If you read this far in my rambling post, thanks. Any advice on the deck and/or outboard is greatly appreciated. I plan to build a pond box this summer. Any ideas/advice on that are also welcome. I'm going to follow Mr. Sanford's plans. https://stevenjaysanford.com/sanford-gunning-box-2/
A few pics from the season below.
Thanks,
Gabe
I've poked around here on and off for a few years. I've always been impressed with the amount of useful knowledge and how freely it's shared. I've learned a lot and have been helped out and inspired on different projects.
Currently, I hunt around southern NJ, in a BBSB that was almost on it's way to the dump when I acquired it about six years ago. I also do some hunting on foot, and use a kayak sometimes too. I've mostly been in the SB the last few seasons. I really enjoy hunkering down in that little boat and seeing how close I can get birds to decoy. It hides so well it makes for some really cool nature watching in addition to the hunting (hawks, eagles, herons, seals, etc).
When I bought the boat I paid a friend who does fiberglass work for a living to bring her back to life. He did a nice job on what I prioritized at the time. It was a lot to get her tight and seaworthy again. Another friend had a 2001 Yamaha F6 he wanted to get rid of for a very reasonable price. So that's what pushes her. The boat was on a homemade trailer of wielded up angle iron.
This season the saltwater finally did in the trailer. It wasn't safe to use anymore, so I ended up purchasing a new trailer. I couldn't find a decent used trailer that wasn't going to be a big hassle to register and be legal on the road. That kept me from starting the season on time. Once that was squared away I just kept running into one thing after another. Leaking waders, fuel line issues, clogged cooling system, blah blah blah. It seemed like every hunt produced another issue. I take good care of my gear. Age was the main factor and it was just time for some things to be replaced. With a few weeks of the season left, and a bunch of money and time expended, I finally was able to get some good hunts in. On one outing I was set up for bufflehead with my lab and we had some wigeon nearby that gave us a close pass. I should have dropped a drake but I blew it. We mostly see black ducks as far as dabblers go. That would have been my first wigeon. A couple days later the tide was right to try again near the same area. It all came together. Not only did I get my first wigeon (a pair), I also had a single Eurasian sneak in from behind me and drop in with the black duck blocks. I didn't blow the opportunity and that bird as well as the the pair of Americans are going on the wall. One hunt made all the work and aggravation worth it. The stud mallard that dropped by when I was thinking about calling it quits didn't hurt my feelings either.
I've got some issues to address with the boat this off season. The deck in getting springy. I think it's time to re-core it. I'll be looking for advice with that. The outboard surges (rpms up and down at idle and low speed in gear). I've tried adjusting the idle but no change. I've heard it's common with that engine but I can't find a fix mentioned anywhere.
If you read this far in my rambling post, thanks. Any advice on the deck and/or outboard is greatly appreciated. I plan to build a pond box this summer. Any ideas/advice on that are also welcome. I'm going to follow Mr. Sanford's plans. https://stevenjaysanford.com/sanford-gunning-box-2/
A few pics from the season below.
Thanks,
Gabe
